Classic/Antique Car Repair: 56 chev 235 oil pressure, oil pressure gauge, filter canister

Question
I've bought a '49 and found it has a '56 chev 235 6 cylinder engine. Its been sitting for 4 yrs and while I did get it fired and running well oil is not going through the cartridge remote filter. The line from the block to it is clear as is the line from it to the cylinder head. Is there an internal by pass at the pump which may be plugged? I'm not sure of the route the oil takes in this engine.

Answer
Once a car has had modifications to it like this, it becomes very hard to troubleshoot, since you really don't know what else has been fiddled with.

That engine probably did not have an oil filter on it when it was new, and those hang on oil filters were usually installed using a kit and directions that came with it.  The feed line to the oil filter has to have a restriction in it to prevent excessive flow through the filter.  If the restriction were not present, there would be insufficient oil pressure to the engine parts which also could cause a catastrophic sudden loss of oil if the filter canister couldn't take the full oil pressure.

Take the line that connects to the top of the filter loose, and start the engine briefly.  If oil comes squirting out of the line, you know the feed line is OK.  Inspect the fitting that connects that line into the filter - it probably has a partly solder filled fitting with a tiny hole drilled drilled through the solder - typically around 70 thousandths of an inch.  These holes can plug up with crud, especially if the car has not be run in a long time - so that may be your problem.   See if you can pass a fine wire through that fitting to clear the blockage.

If no oil comes up from the line to the filter, the other end of the line may have the restrictive orifice in it, so do that same inspection at the other end of the feed line.  That line should be tee'd into the fitting that also supplies the oil pressure gauge on the dash - if that was left original on the engine.   If it wasn't, I'm afraid you're on you own - I have no idea what else might have been done to install the filter.

Sorry I can't be more help.

Dick